Richmond beers rank in Top 20 in nation

A new article from Paste Magazine listing the top India pale ales (IPAs) in the nation includes two beers from Richmond breweries in the Top 20.

Paste blind-tested 324 IPAs to make the list. Beating out over 300 of those were beers from Triple Crossing and Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Triple Crossing Mosaic Triangles (Source: Paste Magazine)

The Triple Crossing Mosaic Triangles ranked 16th on the list.

Paste called it “Intensely hoppy, with a nose that is immediately distinct, it inspired one taster to write ‘Woah, huge hops, intensely grassy but actually in a good way.’ Another taster in the finals picked up more on the fruity side of the beer, writing the following: “Peach into pineapple into green papaya.” Regardless, there’s no lack of character in this one.”

Final Gravity Brewing Co. The Doppler Effect (Source: Paste Media)

From the Final Gravity Brewing Co., The Doppler Effect ranked 12th on the list.

“This one hits with BIG citrus hop aromatics, giving it one of the best noses of all the finalists—lemon, grapefruit and orange are all well represented. From one score sheet: “Perfumey, bright lemon and grapefruit, really crisp for a hazy IPA.” From another: “Massive citrus and tropical fruity nose, into big resin, spicy.” This is a beer that has already won a couple of blind tasting awards among Richmond IPA’s, and we can see why. Even in a particularly crowded, particularly brilliant marketplace, Final Gravity has found a way to stand out.”

Another IPA from Final Gravity Brewing Co., Sunspots, ranked 43rd on the list.

“But really—what’s going on in Richmond, Virginia in terms of its absolute wealth of killer IPA breweries? How did so many of them end up in a city that barely scrapes into the 100 largest in the U.S.A.?” noted Paste Magazine. “We’re all the more amazed by the sheer glut of amazing IPA breweries in Richmond—to have Triple Crossing, The Veil, The Answer, Final Gravity and even good ‘ole Stone in one city is nothing short of amazing, and that’s still leaving out plenty of others.”